Ownership Transition Planning

Every firm will eventually face the challenge of ownership transition. Whether your firm survives and thrives depends on how you plan for this transition. At Rusk O’Brien Gido + Partners, our experts have helped hundreds of firms in the architecture, engineering and environmental consulting industry evaluate their ownership transition options and develop the optimal plan for their unique circumstances.

It is our philosophy that developing a successful ownership transition plan requires a thorough and objective investigation of all available transition options. No two companies are the same. Differences in size, organizational structure, financial performance and corporate culture may make certain transition options more or less appropriate than others. We work hard to determine which transition options make the most sense for your firm.

Our approach to ownership transition planning begins with a thorough assessment of your firm and the transition challenges it faces. Depending on the client’s needs, our ownership planning engagements typically include the following steps:

A thorough review of the company’s historical financial performance

A review of the company’s current valuation and/or an independent appraisal of the company

Interviews with the current shareholders in order to understand their ownership objectives and retirement goals

Interviews with prospective shareholders in order to understand their ownership objectives, their appetite and capacity for investing in the company, and their own retirement goals

A review of the various options available to the company for transitioning ownership and their pros and cons

Financial modeling and forecasting of the selected transition option(s) in order to assess feasibility

A summary of our analysis and recommendations to management (either in a written report, live presentation or both)